KARACHI - A team of Federal Ombudsman, Friday, paid an inspection visit to Jinnah International Airport (JIAP) Karachi to review the facilities being provided to passengers and status of implementations on the recommendations of the Wafaqi Mohtasib. The inspection team, led by Senior Advisor (In charge) Regional Office Karachi, Syed Anwar Haider, visited the facilitation desk at the departure lounge of JIAP and reviewed the service delivery. Advisors to Ombudsman Maula Bakhsh Shaikh and Syed Shujaat Abbas checked the complaint register and sought details of the complaints lodged by the passengers. Senior Advisor (In charge) Regional Office Karachi, Syed Anwar Haider, while presiding over the briefing, said that JIAP Karachi was the busiest airport of Pakistan that provides travel facilities to entire southern half of the country. The Federal Ombudsman Secretariat was conducting a series of visits to international airports of the country and this visit was also part of that program aimed at further improvement of services, the Senior Advisor said. The FOS teams, during their earlier visits to JIAP observed the facilities and issues and made recommendations to resolve the issues and ensure maximum facilitation to the domestic as well as international travelers using the Karachi airport, he said and noted that improvement has been brought in certain areas. For resolving the issues in the Protector Clearance of people going abroad on work cum education visa, online protector clearance facilities were set up at the airport, he observed adding that it will help resolving the issue and also make the protected person eligible of group insurance of Rs.1 million. On the recommendations of the ombudsman for addressing the issue of long queues on the immigration, boarding and other counters, he said, staff was made available to make all the counters functional and efficient while special counters were set up for women and senior citizens in the arrival lounge. Syed Anwar Haider appreciated Airport Security Force for excellent security arrangements and also underscored the need of maintenance works at the airport particularly immediate repair of the flooring. Briefing the team, Director ASF Brigadier Ehsanullah and representatives of airport management, Customs and FIA and other relevant organizations informed that four international audits of Karachi Airport have been done this year by the international organizations which recognized the world-class security arrangements at the airport. They informed that all the organizations were working in coordination to facilitate the passengers at the airport that handles over 20,000 passengers as well as thousands of visitors on daily basis. During the Hajj operation 56,000 hajj pilgrims used JIAP Karachi this year and maximum facilitation was extended to Hujaj through Road to Makkah project of Saudi Arabian government, they added.
The Federal Ombudsman’s team comprising Advisors to Ombudsman Syed Shujaat Abbas and Moula Bukhsh Shaikh, Focal Person Taqi Muhammad Soomro, and other officials, earlier visited counters of FIA Immigration, airlines, Customs Hall, Health Check Post, different passenger lounges, and other facilities.
They also interacted with the passengers as well as deputed officials and inquired about available facilities and quality of services being provided to travelers.
